Water heater



W. E. S. STRONG. WATER HEATER.

APPucATloN FILED Nov.10. 1919-.

2 SHEETS-SHEETI;

Patented Mar. 2s, 1922.

ll ,41 0,848. Patented Mar. 28, 1922..

A W. E. S. STRONG.

W-ATER HEATER.y

APPLICATION msu Nov.1o, 19:9.

STATES rarer s.

WiLifiiii/i E. s. STRONG, or new YoRKyiv. Yg, assionon, BY MasivaASSIGNMENTS, rro

iaiaaie.

Specification of Letters Patent.

or ELizAiinrHPon'r, ivnw JERSEY, A con- WATER HEATER.

Patented Mar. 28, 19122.

Application filed. November 10, 13.19. Serial No. 336,890.

To all whom it may. concer/li.'

Beit known that LlViLLiAM E. S. STRONG, a citizen of the United States,`and a resident of New York, in the county. of vNew York and State vofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in WaterHeaters, of which the following is a specifi'- c-ation. l n

This invention relates to improvenientsin water heaters, and moreparticularly l to water heaters adapted for household or do'- mestic usein which the hot water or steam 'from the heating plant is employedy asa heating medium.v s f The object of the invention is to provide a`simple and inexpensive type of heater and one that may be installed andmaintained at a low cost. A. further object `of my invention is tosimplify the construction andatthe same' time to design and arrange thepart-s so that maximum etliciencyis secured.

The features of my invention are hereinafter fully set forth andillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whicho Fig. l is a view inside elevation ,of the heater, f

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vicwin vertical section taken on line 2, 2 of Fig.l,

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 3, 3 of Fig. 2, and y nFig. 4, is a similar cross-sectionalview taken yon line e, l of Fig. 2.

A preferable form ofy a water heater ein? body-ing the features of myinvention comprises in generalan outercasing lof cylindric form and aninner shell or heating element, 2 enclosed within. the outer casingll.-

Ixetcr-ring more 'in det-ail to the outer casing l, the same ispreferably constructed of cast metalsuch as iron, one end; ofthe casingbeing provided with an integral endl wall 3, the opposite endet`thecasing being open and surrounded by ay marginal n flange 4:.

, Formed in the bottomwall 3 and preferably adjacent to theouter edgethereof is an annnlar opening- (Fig. 2) adaptedtoV receive apart Aoftheinterior heating element@ .as will hereinafter be set Yforth.The'ca'singl Adjacent to the opposite or open endet' the i3 formsfalongitudinal passage '16 which casing 1 are formed integral bosses 8, 8lol fpipe connection serving as a.-.discharge Jfor the heating medium,thedouble Jform of connection being employed for convenience ininstallation, permitting either connection to `be used depending on thearrangement of.

the piping employed. The connection not used may be permanently closedby means ot a plug.

Refer-ring to the construction ofl the heating element 2. enclosedwithin the casing .1, the `same is a hollow castinetal shel preferablyconstructed in the following` manner: An outer wall 10, having in crosssection the general shape of va parallelo-` .grann consists of straightwall sections Vlly arranged at angles substantially lfortylive degreesto each ,other` joined bv curved intermediate sections 1:2. Thevoutervall, l() surrounds and is spaced from an inner wall 13 corresponding`in its general conformation to the outer wall 10. The spaced vwalls lO.and 13 arey joined at their-rends by transverse rend walls `le andthereby;7 vforming a. closed space.` The inner wall open at either endand evtendsl throughout the length yof the inner shell 2;,

IntegralV with the inner shell 2, and eommunicating therewith throughthe end wall 14. which for the purpose of clearer `description may bedesignated as the upper end wall, `is ashort tubular connection 1 7extending longitudinallyv from a point offset 'troin'the central axis oftheshell 2. A1; its outer .end.theconnection 17 is integrat withfacircular plate: 18'` adapted to cover and close the Open end oit theAoutex.'casing V@there beingeinployed awsuitable number of cap sciewspllspacedlaround the edgey of the plate andengaging holes formed ni,

the flange fl. Algasket 20 of rubber or like material is interposedbetween Ythe contacting surfaces of the plate 18 and the ange 4 of thecasing, 1. The entrance of the tubular connection orope'ning through theplate vreceive an inlet pipe 25 (Fig. 1.)

l outer and inner walls 10.and .13 respectively,

corners, Y n H n n calculated to promote .the efficiency ofi the 18 isthreaded to receive a discharge pipe 21 (Fig. 1). of the inner shell. At the opposite or lower end of the shell 2 is ka similar tubularextension or connection 22 located onthe opposite side of the slielhand.extending endwise from the lower' end wall 15. This connection isadapted, to register with the opening 5 in the adjacent end wall 8 ofthe outer casing'lv and is provided with an externally threaded endportion 22a projecting through saidpopening 5.' An internally Athreadedcollar 23 has screw threaded engagement with 'the threaded end 22 of theconnection 21,'said collar having a bearing iiange 2-1 engagingV aroundVthe margin ojlf the opening' 5 and Vathreaded aperture to A gasket 26is placed between the contacting surfaces of the flange 24 and casing.1, and serves fto form a water-tight joint, and also to compensate forthe longitudinal'expansion of the inner shell `relative to the outercasing l. Obviously thegasket 2O 'Vat'the opposite .end of the casingserves the same purposes. vBy reason oit this construction, the. innerheating element .is fixed at its opposite ends to the casing, 'the coverplate serving two functions, namely, as a closure for the open end ofthe casing *and as an integral supporting member torfthel heatingelement.

Cast integrall withtheend wall 14 of the f heating element 2 on oppositesides of the longitudinal passage 16 thereof kare two baffles 27, "27adapted to' control the circulation of the .water around the inner shell2, as will hereinafter be fully set forth.

. Referring more in detail to the structure and conformation of theinner shell, the

have the general shape of parallelograms in cross-sectional contour, asheretofore indicated, the outer wall having the straight side `portionsl1 joinedy by rounded corner por-V tions 12. The 'inner wall 13corresponds generally in'sectional contour tothe outer wall thoughslightly elongated in one di-f rection Withthe result that the spacebetweenV the lwalls is divided into two similarly shaped passagesonopposite sides of a vertical plane including the majoriaxis of theinner wall 13, as shown in Fig. 4;. These passages, by reason of theunsymmetrical relation of the walls 10 and 13, convertirel toward two otthe diagonally opposed corners yott-he shell, and diverge toward thekother similarly opposed This particular conformation is device, .in thatthe maximum eifective heat- Aing or ra'diatingsurface is rrobtained bythe @formationof thecentral passage 16 and the diversionjof thewaterintotwo relatively thin streams vthrough the narrow passages I Y exposed onall 'sides to the heatingmedium 'f circulating around, the shell'yas'Nwell as lengthwise; throughtlie central' Y'passage 16.

,ses Y The parallelo rain conformation is to be preferred as,orinstance, over a cylindric orm,especially where the heater isinstalled in a horizontal position rather than, as in theA verticalposition shown, it being manii'est that the device is readily adaptedfor use in either position. Assuming that the heatel1 is installed in ahorizontal position, the water tobehe'ated' enters the inner shell fromthe lowerlevel (which is proper inasmuch as the tendency of heated`water is to rise) the same will be `dividedat the lower portion of theshell andV pass upwardly through the passages and thence to thedischarge connection at the upper level. The

substantially straight formation o't the passages presents a surfaceoffering less resistance to the flow of the water, than `would acylindric or curved passage in which the direction ofV flow isgenerallyvtangential to the passage, and therefore greater resistance to the flowof iwateris present. Manifestly thc installation-of the heater invertical position is theoretically the more eiiicient, but by reason lotthe conformation of the innershell, the efficiency of the heateryinhorizontal position is made to approach that of the vertical pos'ition,and it is thus possible `to cure the same dev'reeot efficiency in eitherposition of install-ation.v

vice is readily appreciated as it consists oi` only three members, allof simple structure and easily'assembled, the casing being a 'cylindriccast vessel having an open end with one endI wall an integral part ofthe casing. The heating element having the cover or closure plateaintegral therewitlrafliords a simple andeffective methodof support-ingthe inner heating element within the casing. Similarly, 'a'singlecollarinember` connecting the inlet pipe of the inner heating elementand theopposite end wall forms a tight joint Vand providesffor therelative'expansion. and

contraction between the parts', without'leakage. The assembly of thedevice is avery simple operation, involving only the placing of theheatingeleinent Within the casing `so that the inlet `conncction22 ofthe inner shell registers with the opening 5 inthe bottom `wall, theapplying ot the collar 23 on the end thereof, ,and u'ally the vplacingvof the screws 19 through the cover plate'toilasten thesame in place. 7Y

`In connecting up the heater with a'sou'rce of water supplythe `wat-'ertorbe heat-ed `would obviously be admitted at the lowermost"conn nection25 of the inner shelh and" discharged fromfthe upper connection 21, Fig.1.` The heating water, or other heating medium," "would: be connectedin" reverse order with the outerfcasing, namely, entering at-the upperconnection 8 and being discharged rfrom the Y lower connection 7, Fig.1l l In-the case where the heat'erjis installed in horizontal position,

the baliles 27 act to prevent the heating water .from following thecourse of least resistance or direct-ly from point of inlet todischarge, around the exterior surface of the shell, and acts to breakup the current of water tending to flow in that course, causing it tocirculate through the central passages 16 through the heating element Q.

Obviously, in a device constructed as herein set forth t-he functions ofthe outer casing and inner shell may be reversed, that is, the heatingmedium may lbe circulated through the inner shell and the water to beheated formed in said easing, and closures for said openings fixed tosaid connections of the heating element. Y

Q. A. heating device comprising a casing provided with inlet anddischarge connections and with openings at opposite ends thereof, aheating element enclosed within said casingand comprising integral inletand discharge connections, closure members for said openings providedwith passages com-v municating with said connections of the heatingelement, one of said closure members beingintegral with its associatedconnection. i f

3. A heating device comprising a casing open at one end and providedwith inlet and discharge connections, a heating element mounted Withinsaid casin g and p rovi ded with integral inlet and dischargeconnections, one

of said connections extending through an aperture in the adjacent wallof said casing, a collar having threaded engagement with said connectionexterior said casinggand a closure plate forsaid open end of the casino'integral with the other connection of said heating element.

Ll. A water heater comprisinga casing provided with inlet and dischargeconnections, a heating element mounted 1n said cas- Ving and comprisinginner and outer spaced Walls having the general shape of parallelogramsin cross-sectional contour and forming tivo relatively narrow interiorpassages and a longitudinahexterior passage, and integral inlet anddischarge connections supported in the wall of said casing.

5. A Water heater comprising a casing open at one end and having anintegral end Wall at the other end, inlet and discharge connectionscommunicating With said casing, a heating element enclosed inV saidcasing comprising outer and inner spaced Walls having the general shapeof parallelo'grams in cross-sectional contour and forming a longitudinalcentral passage therethrough, and integral inlet and dischargelconnections, one of said connections extending through an aperture inthe Wall of said casing, and a collar mounted on the end thereofexterior of said easing, and a cover plate detachably secured over theopen end of said casing and integral with the other connection of saidheating element. p

6. A Water heater comprising a casing having inlet and dischargeconnections, a heating element mounted within said casing and consistingof spaced inner and outer Walls having the general shape ofparallelograms in cross-sectional contour, and relatively disposed todivide the interior space into tivo relatively narrow passages, saidheating element being provided With inlet and discharge connectionscommunicating exterior said casing.

7. A Water heater comprising a. casing having inlet and dischargeconnections at opposite ends thereof, a heating element mounted withinsaid casing andl comprising spaced walls forming two relatively narrowinner passages, and a longitudinal central exterior passage, inlet anddischarge connections supported in the wall of saii casing andintegralwith said heating element, the

aoV

same heilig provided With integral exterior baillesv located adjacentthe longitudinal passage thereof and the inlet connection of saidcasing. v l v In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 5thday of November, A. D.

` WILLIAM E. S. STRONG.

